LAWMA Arrests Seven In Ipaja For Illegal Waste Dumping

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has arrested seven individuals in the Ipaja-Ayobo axis of Lagos State for illegally dumping waste on road medians.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, who spoke on the arrest, said that the exercise formed part of the Authority’s sustained efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal, protect public infrastructure, and maintain environmental sanitation across communities in the State.

The enforcement exercise covered major locations including Meiran, Command, Ayobo-Ipaja, Moshalashi Bus Stop, Egbeda, Isheri Roundabout, Igando, Abaranje, and Ikotun, where officials monitored and intercepted environmental offenders engaged in illegal waste disposal.

Dr. Gbadegesin noted that indiscriminate dumping of waste on road medians remained a major environmental challenge, contributing to drainage blockage, environmental degradation, and the deterioration of public infrastructure.

According to him, road medians were public assets designed for traffic management, beautification, and environmental enhancement, and not designated waste disposal points.

He said: “The illegal dumping of waste on road medians is unacceptable and undermines the government’s efforts to maintain a clean, safe, and sustainable environment. LAWMA will continue to intensify monitoring and enforcement operations across the State to deter environmental violations and ensure compliance with extant regulations”.

The seven suspects, comprising three females and four males, were apprehended while disposing of waste on road medians at various locations along the monitored routes.

The environmental offenders were promptly transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Task Force Office in Oshodi for prosecution in accordance with applicable environmental laws.

The LAWMA boss urged residents and businesses to patronise only approved PSP operators and utilise authorised waste disposal channels, stressing that environmental sustainability required collective responsibility and compliance with established regulations.

He added that the Authority would continue to deploy intelligence-driven monitoring and enforcement strategies across the State to curb indiscriminate waste disposal and promote cleaner communities.

LAWMA reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on environmental infractions and called on residents to support ongoing efforts aimed at building a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos.